Trap gun and side arm



June 17, 1924.

C. D. LOVELACE TRAP GUN AND- VSIDE ARM e my 29',

Jul

Patented June 17, 19.24.

NIT

CHARLES D. LOVELACE, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.

TRAP GUN AND SIDE ARM.-

Application filed July 29, 1922. Serial No. *?8360.

h1g2, forming part of this application.

invention relates to trap guns nor-c mally adaptedtobe operated automatically by the seizing of bait by an animal and consists inimprovements upon the device illustrated in Patent No. 1,09a7a2, issued to me June 2, 1914.

One object of my invention is to eliminate guess work in the setting of agun by providing indicating means whereby the trapper may easily determine the adjustment of the bait holding rod and the barrel of the gun for different sized animals.

Another object of my invention is to limit the pivotal movement of the gun sear to maintain it in predetermined relation between the end of the rotating rod and the end of the gun barrel and also to prevent relative movement between these parts due to recoil of the gun when fired.

An additional object of my invention is to adapt the gun to be used as a side arm by providing a hand hold and means for operating the sear by the muscles of a hand used in holding the gun.

I also desire to provide an improved support for the gun, one which is adapted to facilitate mounting the gun either on the ground or in a log or tree trunk.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a selected embodiment of my in Vention,

Figurel is in part a side elevation and in part a longitudinal section through my device.

Figure 2 is a transverse section taken on line'Q-Q of Figurel Figure 3. is a view of the. gun supported,

onthe trunk of a tree.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view.

The gun breech b lock 1 mounts a removable barrel 2 which is retained in place by 4 is secured to the breech block and a springa transverse pin 3. A mechanism housing pressed member is slidably mounted in the housing and is adapted to be held in i'etracted positionby a sear 5 pivoted at 6 on a lug 7 fixedly mounted on housing 4,a1id extending downwardly from the latter. Extending downwardly from the front of the breech blockis a fixed lug 8 having a vertir cal slot 9 in its front face and provided with markings'lO on its side adapted warm-a scale for the purpose hereinafter referred to. Lugs Tand 8 are so spaced and shaped that they form a hand hold whereby the gun may be held and aimed when in use as a side arm. \i' VVh en the gun is'luse d for trapping the sear 5 is operated bya rod ll pivbted to the lower end of the sear, extending forwardly, and terminating in a bait holding 1 hook 152 in front of the gun barrel-Wren the gun is used as aside arm the sear is operated by the application or pressure of the hand holding the gun by gripping lugs 7 and 8, to the rear of an L-shapedelement 13 slidable in lug? and connected to sear 5 bya pin 30. Pin 30 maybe meager pin or other easily removable type and also serves to connect rod ll'to'the sear. Rod 11 and element 13 are separate. parts and either may be'removed from the gun. -A plunger 44: isspring supported in a recessed boss 31 on lug 7 and servesto yieldingly hold element 13 in the position shown. WVhile' I show rod 11 and'element 131s bot-h being present on the gun, this is illustrative only and is not likely to befthc liSual assembly. Preferably the gun will be without the manual sear operating means'or else without rod. 11 and the gun supporting member 20. V Screws 16 and 17 are'threaded into lugs 7 and 14:, respectively, and are adaptedto engage the opposite-edges of scar ,5" so as to limit the'pivotal movement of theylatterr By means of screw 16 the trigger'pull' may be rendered as long or as short as desired by varying the projection of the hammer engaging end of the sear into the" mechanism housing. By means of screw "17 forward movement of rod 11 relative to the gun bai rel may be limited and consequently the peb -pendicular distance between hook 12'au1d the path of a bullet fired from the This screw also serves to: check recoil of the gun, when fired, by the engagement of its head with the sear which inmnris heldits Cal

' and numbered 1,2 and 8, respectively.

by the animal discharging the gun, the latter pulling rod 11 and the sear in the op .posite direction to the recoil movement.

ally secured to the breech block at 21 and is provided with a swivel element 22 terminating in a screw 23. A steel stake 24 of any desired length is usually provided with the gun and the upper end 25 of the stake is adapted to receive screw 23 and to be secured thereto by means of a cotter pin through aligned openings 26 in the stake. and screw. When the gun is to be set upon the ground the parts are assembled as shown in Figure 1 and the stake is pressed intothe earth. The gun, being pivotally supported, is free to swing in any direction as impelled by the pull of an animaL If it is desired to mount the. gun upon a log or the trunk of a tree, pin 26 is removed, pressure applied to the screw through the breech block of the gun, and screw 23 may be rotated by inserting the pointed end of the stake through the opening 26 in the screw, as shown in Figure 3.

As pointed out in my above-mentioned patent, the operating rod and barrel are to be adjusted to and from each other for different sizes of animals to be shot. Hitherto this adjustment has been determined by judgment which is often erroneous and in my present gun I have provided the scale markings 10 positioned on the side of lug 2 plate 27 slidably mounted upon the front face of lug 8 is adapted to be clamped to the latter at any desired point by the thumb nut on a screw 28 which extends through slot 9 and a hole in plate 27. Plate 27 is provided with a hole to receive rod 11 spaced from the hole for screw 28, and extending from the edge of platev 27 around theside of lug 8 is a pointer 29 positioned abreast of the axis of the opening in the plate for rod 11. This construction spaces the rod 11 from the nut so that tightening of the screw is not interfered with by the rod. Another advantage of this arrangement is that the rod is always the same distance from'the screw and nut while in the gun described in my earlier'patent the operator had to attend to the positioning of these parts in order to secure proper adjustment and prevent lost motion. 1

1 It will be understood from experience and from instructions accompanying the gun that when the plate is secured to the lug with the pointer at 1 as shown in Figure 1,

.the gun will be set for small animals such asweasels. When the pointer is set at the middle mark on the scale, the gun will be set, for larger animals such as fox andopossum, and when the pointer is set at No.3 marking onthe scale, the gun is set for still larger animals, such as coyotes. The provision of this scale affords simple and easily adjusted means for setting the gun for the different sizes of animal, 7

It is obvious that modifications may be made in the details of my device, without departing from the spirit thereof, and I contemplate all such as are provided in the commercial development of my article and as fall within the spirit of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Ina gun, a firing pin. a pivoted sear 1 adapted to engage said pin to withhold the latter from firing position, the extent of such engagement being determined-by the pivotal movement of the sear'in the direction opposite to that resulting in the release of the pin, and adjustable means for limiting the pivotal movement-of the. sear in said direction.

2. In a trap gun, a support on which the gun is mounted to pivot in a vertical plane, a barrel located above the pivot point,a sear, an operating rod connected to said sear, and an element below the pivot point adapted to engage said sear to:limit the recoil movement of the gun.

,3. In agun, a firing pin, a sear member for withholdin said pin, and means for adjusting the functioning position of said sear to varv the length of its movement necessary t release the pin, said means com prising a threaded element operable from the exterior of the gun, one end of which element is adapted to contact withva face of said sear member. V

4. In a trap gun, a barrel, a pivoted sear, a sear operating rod adapted to carry bait, and adjustableelements positioned in front and in back of said sear to limit the movement of the latter and said operating rod relative to the gun barrel.

5. In a trap gun, a barrel, a breech-block, a mechanism housing, a pivoted sear, a sear operating rod adapted to carry bait, fixed projections on said block and housing in front and in back of said sear, individual sear engaging elemen'tsthreaded into said projections, and means for locking said elements in various positions to ,adjustably limit the pivotal movement ofthe sear.- i

6. In a trap gun, a barrel, a breech block,

through said slotted lug and having a lug clamping thumb. nut, the perforations in said guide being barely large enough to permitpassage of said rod and screw, respecg tively, whereby the latter are fixedly spaced 7 otheri. i

7. In a trap gun, a sear, means connected thereto and extending in front of said sear for operating the same. and means connected theret and extending in back of said sear for operating the same.

8. In atrap gun, spaced rigid elements forming gripping means, a sear, a bait holding operating rod adapted to operate said sear when pulled, and a hand engageable member movable on said gripping means and adapted to operate said sear.

9. In a trap gun, a breech block provided with hand hold elements, a barrel, a sear, and a dual control for said sear comprising a hooked rod secured to said sear and extending to a point in front of the gun barrel and a manually operated element secured to said sear and extending to a point adjacent one of the hand hold elements.

10. In a trap gun, a breech block a mechanism housing, spaced downwardly projecting lugs on said block and housing forming a hand hold, a scar pivoted to one of said lugs, a sear operating rod extending f0rwardly and terminating in a bait holding hook in front of the gun barrel and a sear operating element mounted on one of said lugs and provided with a surface adjacent to said lug and adapted to be engaged by a hand holding the gun by said lugs.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature this 21 day of July, 1922.

CHARLES D. LOVELAGE. 

